News Story

Work has begun on the ground improvements needed for the club to attain Super 12 status next season.

Following the news last week that we had been granted monies from Welsh Grounds Improvements (WGI) to carry out the work, contractors - plus our usual dedicated band of volunteers - immediately began knocking through the walls in the away and referee's changing rooms to increase their size and installing new doorways and access corridors.

Outside, the footings have been dug out for the extension that will form the new medical room and blockwork will be started on this structure over the weekend. The red steel poles that propped up the lean-to roof have been taken down and will be replaced while the grassed area up to the clubhouse entrance has been dug up and will be concreted. Click here  to view some pictures.

The new TV gantry and police control room sited above and behind the dugouts will be started in around a fortnight's time when the steelwork has been made.

These are exciting times for the club as Bastion Gardens enters a new phase of development. Other items needed to meet Super 12 criteria include external toilet facilities, external security lighting in the stand, a disabled viewing area plus other less demanding bits and bobs.

The Club Shop is also on the move, the portakabin will be swung round 180 degrees and re-sited behind the stand and a new one installed on the old site which will act  as a TV interview room and office area.

A number of supporters have asked about the proposed new stand at the Bastion Road end. This is not a requirement of the FAW Domestic Licence as we only need 500 seats to attain that but it is a requirement of the UEFA Licence and if we are successful in gaining Super 12 status it will then be necessary in due course to increase our seating capacity to 1,000 in order to gain UEFA status. Therefore a new stand is probably 18 months to two years away and would require significant grant funding.

We have full planning permission for a new stand which holds valid for five years. The structure would also house a tea bar and male and female toilets.